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Citrus Bergamot: 7 Benefits Tested in People, and How Each Held Up

Β·HealthyMag Editorial Team
Drawing of a whole citrus bergamot fruit with a leaf beside a cut half on a table

Quick Answer: Citrus bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a citrus fruit grown in Calabria, in southern Italy, best known for the oil that flavours Earl Grey tea. Its juice and extracts have been tested in people for seven benefits: cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and waist size, fatty liver, blood pressure and thinking skills, while the essential oil has been tested, by inhalation, for stress and anxiety. Cholesterol has by far the most trials, and a 2026 meta-analysis of nine of them still rated the certainty of every result “low to very low”. The others rest on one or two small trials, several of which used bergamot combined with other ingredients. The table below gives the verdict for each. Our product pick for this topic, Herbal Lab’s Italian citrus bergamot, is in the box near the end of this page.

Search “citrus bergamot” and you find two different products sold under one name: a heart supplement made from the fruit’s juice and a fragrant oil pressed from its peel. They are tested in different ways, for different things, and they carry different risks. This page sorts the claimed benefits by what the human trials actually measured. For the detailed cholesterol trials, see our citrus bergamot cholesterol review; for safety, see citrus bergamot side effects.

What is bergamot?

Bergamot is a citrus tree, Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau, described in a 2015 review as “a hybrid of bitter orange and lemon” and “an endemic plant of the Calabria region (Italy)”. The same review notes that the fruit “is primarily used for the extraction of its essential oil”, which goes into perfume, cosmetics, food and confections. A 2007 chemistry study named Earl Grey tea as one of the foods made with the oil, which is why most people have tasted bergamot without knowing it (our Earl Grey tea benefits page covers the tea itself).

A 2017 systematic review by the same Messina group summed up the two uses in one line: the essential oil “is used in perfumes, cosmetics, and for stress reduction”, while “juice from C. bergamia has been used for hyperlipidemia”. That split, oil for mood and juice for cholesterol, is the clearest way to understand everything that follows.

Is bergamot the same as a bergamot orange?

Yes. Researchers use “bergamot orange” as another name for the same fruit; a 2018 study, for example, describes “Citrus bergamia Risso (Bergamot orange)”. It is not the same as “wild bergamot”, Monarda fistulosa, an herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae) that shares the name. If a label lists Citrus bergamia, it is the citrus.

Juice extract or essential oil: two different products

Almost all of the supplement research uses an extract of the fruit’s juice, often standardised as a “bergamot polyphenolic fraction” (BPF), taken by mouth as a capsule, drink or liquid. The essential oil is studied differently: in the trials we found, people inhaled it from a spray, an aroma stone or an inhaler rather than swallowing it. The oil also contains bergapten, the compound behind the sun-sensitivity skin reactions covered on our side effects page. So when a page lists “bergamot benefits”, check which of the two it is talking about before you buy either.

What citrus bergamot is good for: the seven benefits tested in people

Claimed benefitProduct testedWhat the human trials foundOur verdict
Cholesterol and triglyceridesJuice extract (BPF)9 randomised trials, 615 people: LDL about 39.5 mg/dL lower, triglycerides about 52.5 mg/dL lower; certainty “low to very low”The best-studied use, still not settled
Blood sugarJuice extractLower fasting glucose in 60 people with type 2 diabetes; better insulin resistance than placebo in a 90-person trial; no effect from a bergamot drink in healthy adultsA signal in people with metabolic problems
Weight and waistProducts containing bergamot, often with other ingredients11 trials: modest drops in weight, BMI and waist, with very high variation between trialsSmall and inconsistent
Fatty liverBergamot plus wild cardoon102 people: more liver fat reduction than placebo over 12 weeksBergamot alone not tested
Blood pressureJuice extractSystolic pressure about 2.1 mmHg lower in the pooled trialsToo small to matter on its own
Thinking skillsJuice extractOne open-label pilot in 20 people with schizophreniaNot tested in the general population
Stress and anxietyEssential oil, inhaledSmall trials with mixed results; one placebo-controlled trial of an oil blend found no differenceMixed, and about the oil, not the supplement

1. Cholesterol: the most evidence, still low certainty

Cholesterol is the reason most people buy citrus bergamot, and it is where most of the trials are. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled nine randomised trials with 615 participants and found bergamot was associated with lower LDL cholesterol (about 39.5 mg/dL), lower total cholesterol (about 44.7 mg/dL), lower triglycerides (about 52.5 mg/dL) and slightly higher HDL (about 5.6 mg/dL). The same authors rated six of the nine trials as poor, and graded the certainty of evidence “low to very low” for every outcome. An earlier systematic review reached a similar conclusion, that effectiveness and safety “cannot be definitively drawn because of publication bias and low quality level of the majority of studies”.

We go through the individual cholesterol trials, the doses they used and how bergamot compares with a statin in our citrus bergamot for cholesterol review, so we will not repeat them here.

2. Blood sugar

Three trials give a mixed picture. In 60 people with type 2 diabetes and high blood lipids, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that both standard BPF and a phytosome form reduced fasting plasma glucose along with LDL and triglycerides. A 2023 three-arm trial in 90 adults with features of metabolic syndrome found that two doses of a standardised bergamot extract improved insulin sensitivity compared with placebo, with HOMA-IR down 12.2% in the higher-dose group after 12 weeks. But a 2024 trial in 45 healthy adults who drank a bergamot-based beverage for 12 weeks found glucose and insulin fell in both groups, with “no significant between-arm difference”. The 2026 meta-analysis pooled a fasting glucose reduction of about 12 mg/dL, again at low to very low certainty.

The pattern is that the signal appears in people who already have raised blood sugar or lipids, not in healthy people drinking a diluted juice.

3. Weight and waist size

A 2026 meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials of “nutraceuticals containing C. bergamia” found modest reductions in body weight, BMI and waist circumference, but the variation between trials was very high (IΒ² of 90% for weight and BMI), and no effect was found on the other body composition measures. Many of the products combined bergamot with other ingredients, so the result cannot be credited to bergamot alone. The 2026 cardiovascular meta-analysis found waist circumference about 0.96 cm smaller, which is less than half an inch. In the 90-person 2023 trial, body fat improved compared with the start of the study but not compared with placebo.

4. Fatty liver

The fatty liver claim rests mainly on a 2020 double-blind trial in 102 people with liver steatosis. Those taking a supplement combining a bergamot polyphenol fraction with wild cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) extract, 300 mg a day for 12 weeks, had a larger drop in liver fat on transient elastography than those on placebo (βˆ’48.2 versus βˆ’26.9 dB/m). After adjusting for weight change, the difference held only in people over 50. Because the product contained two plant extracts, this trial does not tell you what bergamot alone does to a fatty liver.

5. Blood pressure

Blood pressure was a secondary measure in most trials. The 2026 meta-analysis pooled a systolic reduction of about 2.1 mmHg, at the same low to very low certainty as its other results. That is a small change, and the trials were designed around cholesterol, not blood pressure.

6. Thinking skills

The only human trial we found is a 2017 eight-week, open-label pilot in 20 people with schizophrenia taking second-generation antipsychotics. At 1,000 mg a day of BPF, two of the cognitive tests improved (perseverative errors and semantic fluency, both P = 0.004), and the authors called for “adequately powered and well-designed” trials. There was no placebo group, and nobody has tested bergamot for memory or focus in the general population, so claims about bergamot and “brain health” go well beyond this evidence.

If you are considering a bergamot supplement for its main use, cholesterol, the product we link to is Herbal Lab’s Italian citrus bergamot (affiliate link; details in our pick below).

7. Stress and anxiety: the essential oil

The mood research is about inhaling the oil, not swallowing a supplement. A 2015 review concluded that clinical studies of bergamot essential oil “exclusively focus on the field of aromatherapy”, and a 2017 systematic review found six oil studies on stress, all with small samples and not of high quality. More recent trials point in both directions:

  • A 2023 crossover trial in 48 university students compared a bergamot spray with a placebo spray, open-label, for one week each, and found better sleepiness-on-rising scores and lower depression, anxiety and stress scores in the bergamot period.
  • A 2025 trial in 100 adults in treatment for substance use disorder found lower depression and anxiety scores with a bergamot oil inhaler, but the comparison group received standard care rather than a placebo.
  • A 2024 blinded, placebo-controlled trial in ICU nurses, using an oil blend that included bergamot, lavender, ylang-ylang and sweet orange, found “no statistically significant changes in anxiety” compared with placebo.

So the one blinded, placebo-controlled trial in this list found nothing, and it tested a blend rather than bergamot alone.

How to read “citrus bergamot benefits” claims

  1. Ask which product. Cholesterol and blood sugar claims come from juice extracts taken by mouth; mood claims come from inhaled oil.
  2. Ask whether bergamot was alone. The fatty liver and many weight trials used combinations.
  3. Ask who was studied. Most trials enrolled people with high cholesterol, diabetes or metabolic syndrome, and the drink trial in healthy adults found no difference from control.
  4. Ask who ran the trials. Much of the cholesterol and blood sugar research comes from one research group in Catanzaro, in Calabria, and the 2026 meta-analysis rated most of the trials as poor quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is bergamot?

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a citrus fruit described as a hybrid of bitter orange and lemon, grown in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Its essential oil flavours Earl Grey tea and is used in perfume and cosmetics, and extracts of its juice are sold as supplements.

What is citrus bergamot good for?

The most studied use is lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, where nine randomised trials found improvements but the evidence was rated low to very low certainty. Smaller trials tested blood sugar, weight, fatty liver, blood pressure and cognition, and inhaled bergamot oil has been tested for stress and anxiety with mixed results.

Is bergamot oil the same as a bergamot supplement?

No. Supplements are usually made from the fruit’s juice and are taken by mouth; the essential oil is pressed from the peel, is used in fragrance and aromatherapy, and contains bergapten, which can cause sun-sensitivity reactions on the skin.

Does citrus bergamot help you lose weight?

A 2026 meta-analysis of 11 trials of products containing bergamot found modest reductions in weight, BMI and waist size, but results varied widely between trials and many products combined bergamot with other ingredients.

Does bergamot help fatty liver?

One 102-person trial found more liver fat reduction than placebo over 12 weeks, but the product combined bergamot with wild cardoon extract, so it does not show what bergamot alone does.

Is a bergamot orange the same as citrus bergamot?

Yes. “Bergamot orange” is another name for Citrus bergamia used in the research. It is different from “wild bergamot”, Monarda fistulosa, an herb of the mint family.

πŸ›’ Where to buy: citrus bergamot

Herbal Lab’s Italian citrus bergamot is an alcohol-free liquid extract of bergamot fruit from Italy, concentrated 20:1, 1,500 mg per serving (one dropper in water), in vegetable glycerin and water. One thing we would want you to know before you choose: the trials in the table above mostly dosed a standardised polyphenol fraction, and this label gives an extraction ratio, not a polyphenol amount in milligrams. None of the trials above tested this product. If matching a standardised figure matters to you, ask the seller for the certificate of analysis.

See Herbal Lab bergamot (15% off)

Affiliate link β€” we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it does not change what we have written above. Code HERBAL15 is applied at checkout. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you take cholesterol-lowering or diabetes medicine, ask your prescriber first.

The Bottom Line

Citrus bergamot has been tested in people for seven benefits, and none of them is settled. Cholesterol has the most trials and the clearest signal, though a 2026 meta-analysis still graded the evidence low to very low certainty. Blood sugar results appear in people with metabolic problems but not in healthy adults; the weight and fatty liver trials often used combination products; the blood pressure change is small; the cognition evidence is one pilot; and the stress research is about inhaled oil, not the supplement. If you take it, take it for cholesterol, check with your doctor if you are on medication, and read our side effects page first.

Sources

  1. Navarra M, Mannucci C, DelbΓ² M, Calapai G. Citrus bergamia essential oil: from basic research to clinical application. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2015. PMID 25784877. “a hybrid of bitter orange and lemon”; “an endemic plant of the Calabria region (Italy)”; fruit “primarily used for the extraction of its essential oil”; oil studies “exclusively focus on the field of aromatherapy”. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Mannucci C, Navarra M, Calapai F, et al. Clinical Pharmacology of Citrus bergamia: A Systematic Review. Phytotherapy Research, 2017. PMID 27747942. Ten clinical articles: six on essential oil and stress, three on juice polyphenols and hyperlipidemia, one on psoriasis; “cannot be definitively drawn because of publication bias and low quality level of the majority of studies”. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Belsito EL, Carbone C, Di Gioia ML, et al. Comparison of the volatile constituents in cold-pressed bergamot oil and a volatile oil isolated by vacuum distillation. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2007. PMID 17696485. Oils suited to “producing foods, for example, Earl Grey tea, and cosmetic preparations”. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Chambari M, Mardani H, Roshandel M, et al. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Food Science & Nutrition, 2026. PMID 42746152. 9 RCTs, 615 participants; LDL βˆ’39.53 mg/dL (about 39.5), total cholesterol βˆ’44.69 mg/dL (about 44.7), triglycerides βˆ’52.47 mg/dL (about 52.5), HDL +5.63 mg/dL (about 5.6), glucose βˆ’12.12 mg/dL (about 12), systolic blood pressure βˆ’2.09 mmHg (about 2.1), waist βˆ’0.96 cm; six of nine trials rated poor; certainty “low to very low” for all outcomes. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Mollace V, Scicchitano M, Paone S, et al. Hypoglycemic and Hypolipemic Effects of a New Lecithin Formulation of Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction: A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets, 2019. PMID 30501605. 60 patients with type 2 diabetes and hyperlipemia; “significant reduction of fasting plasma glucose” with BPF and BPF Phyto. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Fogacci F, Giovannini M, Imbalzano E, et al. Metabolic and vascular effect of a new standardized bergamot phytocomplex: a three-arm, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Archives of Medical Science, 2023. PMID 37732063. 90 adults (30 per group), 12 weeks; insulin sensitivity improved versus placebo (p < 0.05); HOMA-IR βˆ’12.2% in the high-dose group; body fat improved versus baseline, not versus placebo. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Maggiolo G, Aldigeri R, Savini C, et al. Chronic consumption of a bergamot-based beverage does not affect glucose, lipid and inflammatory biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk in healthy subjects: a randomised controlled intervention study. Food & Function, 2024. PMID 38767145. 45 healthy adults, 400 mL a day for 12 weeks; “no significant between-arm difference”. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Pujia C, Ferro Y, Castagna A, et al. Effect of Citrus bergamia Supplementation on Body Composition in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Obesity Reviews, 2026. PMID 41572527. 11 RCTs of “nutraceuticals containing C. bergamia”; body weight SMD βˆ’0.64 (IΒ² = 90%), BMI SMD βˆ’0.85 (IΒ² = 90%), waist SMD βˆ’0.41; no significant effect on other body composition parameters. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. Ferro Y, Montalcini T, Mazza E, et al. Randomized Clinical Trial: Bergamot Citrus and Wild Cardoon Reduce Liver Steatosis and Body Weight in Non-diabetic Individuals Aged Over 50 Years. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2020. PMID 32849284. 102 patients, 300 mg/day for 12 weeks; liver fat βˆ’48.2 vs βˆ’26.9 dB/m (p = 0.02); after weight adjustment significant only over 50 years. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. Bruno A, Pandolfo G, Crucitti M, et al. Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction Supplementation Improves Cognitive Functioning in Schizophrenia: Data From an 8-Week, Open-Label Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2017. PMID 28591067. 20 outpatients, 1,000 mg/day for 8 weeks; perseverative errors and semantic fluency P = 0.004; “adequately powered and well-designed” trials needed. Checked 20 October 2026.
  11. Wakui N, Togawa C, Ichikawa K, et al. Relieving psychological stress and improving sleep quality by bergamot essential oil use before bedtime and upon awakening: A randomized crossover trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2023. PMID 37625623. 48 university students; placebo-controlled, open-label crossover, 1 week per period; improvement in sleepiness on rising and in depression, anxiety and stress. Checked 20 October 2026.
  12. Reven ME, Carpenter R, Smith MJ, et al. Using an aromatherapy intervention with Citrus bergamia (bergamot) essential oil in adults in treatment for substance use disorder: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 2025. PMID 40786851. 100 participants; control was standard care; depression (P = 0.007) and anxiety (P = 0.013) improved in the intervention group. Checked 20 October 2026.
  13. Hubbard S, O’Conner K, Lockhart ER, et al. Impact of aromatherapy on anxiety among ICU nurses: A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Nursing, 2024. PMID 39186163. Blend of lavender, bergamot, ylang-ylang and sweet orange; “no statistically significant changes in anxiety” versus placebo. Checked 20 October 2026.
  14. Pujia A, Russo C, Maurotti S, et al. Bergamot Polyphenol Fraction Exerts Effects on Bone Biology by Activating ERK 1/2 and Wnt/Ξ²-Catenin Pathway and Regulating Bone Biomarkers in Bone Cell Cultures. Nutrients, 2018. PMID 30223488. “Citrus bergamia Risso (Bergamot orange)”. Checked 20 October 2026.
  15. Shanaida M, Hudz N, Jasicka-Misiak I, et al. Polyphenols and Pharmacological Screening of a Monarda fistulosa L. dry Extract Based on a Hydrodistilled Residue By-Product. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2021. PMID 33995001. “wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa L., Lamiaceae”. Checked 20 October 2026.
  16. Herbal Lab, Italian Citrus Bergamot – Polyphenol-Rich Drops, product page: “concentrated 20:1, 1500 mg per serving”; “one dropper in water”. hebslab.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any health decisions. Content reviewed by the HealthyMag Editorial Team.

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